Liberal Cities, Conservative Towns Seek Supreme Court's Help on Homelessness.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the limits of vagrancy laws and their enforcement against homeless individuals. A federal appeals court in San Francisco has deemed such measures unconstitutional when applied to those with nowhere else to go, leading to an appeal supported by cities facing housing crises, including Los Angeles, Portland, and San Francisco. The case originated in Grants Pass, Oregon, where officials were found to have violated the rights of involuntarily homeless people by outlawing camping on public property or in vehicles when no shelter beds were available. The case has divided progressives, with some arguing that criminal penalties should not be used to drive the marginalized outside city limits. The Biden administration is urging the Supreme Court to scale back the Ninth Circuit's decision, while also emphasizing the importance of providing housing and social services to address homelessness. [Extracted from the article]